All Roads Lead to You
by Irishluvsjm
Summary: When Sam is presumed dead, Jason sets out on a journey to find himself. Will he find love again? Set during the winter of 2008 after Sam is kidnapped by the Text Message Killer.
1. Prologue

_**All Roads Lead to You**_

Premise

The love of his life is dead and Jason Morgan just wants out. Out of the business, out of making and keeping promises, out of town. Out of his own skin, period.

Gabrielle Williams has one rule in life. Never fall in love.

When these two strangers meet on a deserted road, both are immediately drawn to one another. Gabi quickly realizes that he's running from his life and decides to help. Can she do what she does best and fix Jason's heart without losing her own? Or will she break her only rule?

Will Jason find love where he least expects it? Or will he be forever haunted by his past? Can he ever truly let go of Sam?

Is this just a disaster waiting to happen?

Or the chance of a lifetime?

Prologue

Regrets

_How had this happened?_ How had his life gotten so out of control? When had he become this man he hardly recognized whenever he looked into the mirror every morning? It was supposed to be a one time thing. One night between two very good friends to help erase the images of their significant others with other people.

But life apparently had other ideas. And while he was thrilled about his son he wasn't entirely sure the price he'd paid for him had been worth it. He'd lied to and betrayed the woman he loved. And why? To protect another woman's secrets. What kind of man sold out his own fiancée for another? Even if that woman was the mother of his son, how could he turn his back on Sam and the life they'd fought so hard to have?

He'd destroyed their lives. Sure she'd committed some atrocities of her own, but as a direct result of what he had done to her. She'd been hurt and angry and so full of hatred that she'd struck out in the ways guaranteed to bring him the most pain. First she'd stood by and watched as his son was kidnapped. Then she'd decided to go after Elizabeth by hiring a couple of thugs to threaten her and her sons. And as her final act of revenge she'd lured Elizabeth's husband into her bed.

In the heat of anger derived from absolute frustration, he'd made a few threats of his own. He'd stood right there in her living room, staring her down, and in the coldest voice imaginable had threatened to kill her if she ever did anything to hurt Elizabeth or her children again. Had he meant it? Would he have been able to follow through?

Never in a million years. No matter how angry she made him he could never have physically hurt her. She had been his whole world. She'd suffered enough because of him.

Had he ever told her that though? Had he ever truly apologized for what he and Elizabeth had done to her? He couldn't apologize for Jake. He regretted lying to her, hurting her, but he could never be sorry for sleeping with Elizabeth because right or wrong she had given him a son. But he was sorrier than he could ever express what that night had done to their lives.

Instead of ever telling her that though, he and Elizabeth had gotten all self-righteous, indignant, behaving as if they were the real victims instead of owning up to the truth. That he and Elizabeth had created this web of lies, deceit, and betrayal and whatever the fallout they were responsible for it.

And now it was far too late to say, "I'm sorry". To late to make things right. To late to tell her that he still loved her and that he always would. To late for that future he'd promised her and the children she always wanted with him.

Too late for everything because she was dead. Ironic how he'd once broken up with her in order to keep her safe and finally when she was well and truly away from him, she'd found herself a victim of a serial killer. Sam was gone and she was never coming back because once again he had failed to protect the person he loved the most outside of his son.

Jason forced out a sigh. Oh well, nothing to be done about that now. They had made their decisions and now all any of them could do was go on the best they could. But here? In this place? This town? Their home? The home she'd made for them. The apartment that had stopped being any kind of home the day she'd moved out.

No, he thought determinably shaking his head. He wasn't going to do that. He wasn't going to stay in this town, where every corner was filled with memories of her. Where the other part of his soul was being raised by another man because his mother didn't trust him to keep their son safe. Where he was expected to follow orders and not ask questions. Where this person and that person needed him, counted on him, to fix their lives, to advise them, to do everything for them except cut up their meat.

That man was dead. He'd died when Sam had gone over that cliff. He didn't know who he was anymore, but if he had any prayer of finding out, he needed to do it away from here. And if they had ever loved him they'd understand, they'd accept his decision to leave. For so many years he'd sacrificed so much for everyone else. It was past time for someone else to do do the sacrificing.

Walking over to the desk, he sat down behind it, and pulled paper and pen from the top drawer. An old picture of him and Sam stared back at him. He remembered putting it there the day she'd finally had enough of him and moved out for good. They had been so happy here, he mused as he traced a reverent finger over her beautiful smiling face allowing himself to get lost in the memories.

It had been early December, just before he and Sam had left his sister's wedding reception, when Emily had snapped their picture. It had been Sam's first real smile since her daughter had been stillborn the month before. She'd had more than her fair share of champagne and Jason knew she would regret it in the morning, but he'd been so relieved that she was finally enjoying herself. Her tipsy smile had enchanted him and he'd gotten so much joy from watching her.

They had come back here to the penthouse. She'd teased him about catching the garter and how much he'd smiled.

"_Okay, now we are going to do it right here and right now," Sam said as she crossed over to him._

_His head tilted slightly, both brows raised in inquiry. Surely she didn't mean what he thought she meant. She'd had a lot to drink but she wasn't that drunk. Was she?_

"_Dancing," she explained, bringing a halt to his thoughts_

_Immediately, he declined. "No." She'd probably have better luck with the other. He hated dancing with a passion._

"_No." She nodded her head fiercely. "Yeah. Yes."_

"_No."_

"_Yes, seriously."_

"_No," he said sounding like a broken record. _

"_Come on nobody's around."_

"_I don't dance. I can't dance."_

"_Well you do now." Refusing to take no for an answer she grabbed his hands and pulled, with him resisting all the way. "That's fine. I don't want to dance."_

"_You put your arm here."_

"_Sam…"_

"_And then you put your arm here."_

"_I don't want to dance."_

"_And we just…"_

"_Okay, you need… "_

_She sighed. "I'm not gonna bite, please."_

_He tried again. "You need to get some rest."_

"_Please," she said again. "Jason, come on. I doubt I'm even going to remember tomorrow. So.…" She sighed in exasperation. "Please?"_

_Reluctantly, Jason gave in. He'd taken her into his arms and she'd rested her head on his shoulder and for a few moments the world had just faded away. Sometime later, they got tangled together and ended up falling to the floor. He'd ended up on top of her and as he'd gazed down into her beautiful eyes, he'd found himself falling in love. He'd asked if she was okay, but instead of answering, she leaned her head up and planted a kiss on him; their first. And though she'd initiated it, he hadn't resisted and had eagerly kissed her back._

Sighing wistfully, he came out of his reverie. Forcing the now painful images to the farthest corner of his mind, he picked up the pen and began writing.


	2. Chapter 1: Strange Encounters

**Chapter 1**

**The Encounter**

Cursing a blue streak, Gabi Williams, kicked the flat tire on her car. Eyeing it in disgust she kicked it again for good measure. This just sucked, she thought irritably. Using a four letter expletive that would have earned her a serious lashing from her grandmother had she heard her, Gabi dug through her purse for her phone.

"Son of a…" No bars. She'd forgotten to charge it. Again. If her opponents in the courtroom knew how absentminded she could be, they would make mincemeat out of her.

So now what she was going to do? This wasn't exactly a busy freeway with cars passing by every second. Nor was it the country where neighbors were always willing to stop and help a fellow neighbor. It was a highway with two or three passing cars, but people here she'd discovered were a lot like they were in the busy metropolitan areas; wary of helping strangers or rather stranded motorists.

Muttering several choice phrases, she reached through the window to pop the trunk. Stomping over to the rear of the car she shoved it upward and dug through for the tire iron and the jack. Since it was obvious her knight in shining armor wouldn't be showing up today—not that she really wanted one, she'd just have to muddle through this on her own. If she could recite case after case law without missing a beat then surely she could manage a simple tire.

How difficult could it be? Never mind the fact that anytime she had tried in the past, she'd always ended up on her butt and in the dirt, literally. After all how many times had she attempted to drive a stick shift with disastrous results? She'd finally figured that out, hadn't she? Okay, so she hadn't exactly mastered it, but she could do it if she absolutely had too.

So maybe the hundred and fiftieth time would be the charm, she thought kneeling next to the vexing tire. She stared at it and at the two instruments she held, trying to remember what she'd learned when her dad, her older brother, and uncle had tried to teach her the simple act act of changing a tire. Did she use the jack first or did she loosen and remove the lug nuts first?

Chewing her lower lip she went for what seemed the simplest thing first; removing the lug nuts. Ten minutes later she'd lost all but one or two nails, bruised her shin from when the tire iron had slipped and whapped her in the leg, all but shredded her nylons, and she was no closer to getting the stupid nuts loose than she had been when she'd first undertaken the job.

She was bruised, tired, and sweaty which was amazing considering the temperatures were in the lower 40's and it had started to snow. She'd removed her pumps, her wool jacket, and her pretty royal blue fitted suit jacket, but she'd still managed to get grease on the matching skirt and on the white shell blouse. Her hair had all but fallen out of the neat bun she'd pinned it up in.

"Dammit," she swore viciously, when she realized that she'd been turning the tire iron in the wrong direction, thereby tightening instead of loosening the lug nuts. At this rate she'd never finish. Some jogger would probably run across her decaying corpse sometime after the spring thaw.

She nearly wept in relief when she heard the sound of an approaching motorcycle, which instead of driving right past seemed to be slowing down. Standing she shoved her disheveled reddish brown hair out of her face, and waved at the man on the bike. He stopped but instead of getting off right away, he just sat there, engine still running and just looked at her for what felt like an eternity. Ever so slowly and with what looked like reluctance, he turned off the engine and got off the bike, before striding towards her.

And that's when Gabi got her first good look at her savior and nearly swallowed her tongue. His hips were lean, his muscles bulging through his black leather jacket, and he had the face of a Greek God. Or some Hollywood movie star. He walked with a bad boy attitude and didn't so much as smile, but he didn't need it. In fact the fact that he wasn't smiling seemed to add to his appeal. His hair was a shade or two darker than blonde and too light to be brown. It wasn't long but it wasn't exactly short either, stopping just short of the collar of his jacket. And his eyes were the deep blue color of the Agean Sea. "My god, you're gorgeous," she muttered aloud without thinking.

Immediately she cursed the loose tongue she'd seemed to have been born with. She'd always had the tendency to speak without thinking it through—her family called it foot in mouth syndrome. In the courtroom she was as solid, as stoic, and as silent as she needed to be, but out of it, her mouth ran like a faucet.

But if this stranger had heard her comment, he certainly didn't show it. The blank expression on his face did not change at all. He just stood there looking at her with an unnerving study. Finally he spoke. "Need some help?"

Grateful that he'd spoken, she gave a frenetic bob of her head. "Yes, thank you. I was beginning to think I would expire out her before someone stopped. The few cars that have driven by didn't so much as glance in this direction. Well one did but he had this serial killer look about him, if you get my meaning and so I pretended to be talking on my phone. Except I really wasn't because my phone died. Actually I forgot to charge it. Anyway I tried to change it myself but my expertise doesn't seem to extend towards changing tires."

Oh bother, she thought irritably. Now she was rambling. He must think she was a real ninny. And helpless to boot.

Again though he showed no emotion. He merely held out his hand. For half a heartbeat she could just stand there, looking at him like some freak or something. Seeming to take no offense or care in the world, really he nodded patiently towards the tire iron she still clutched in her left hand. "Oh sorry," she muttered, quickly handing it over when she realized what he was asking for.

Nodding once more, he retreated to the front end of her car. Kneeling next to the tire, he treated her to a world class view. Though his jeans were baggy they did nothing to detract from the fact that he had a seriously nice ass.

Lips curving upward, she leaned against the car and watched him work. Marveling at the short amount of time it seemed to take him to both remove the tire and put the spare one on. Probably less than ten minutes from start to finish. Once he was finished, he got back onto his feet and as effortlessly as he'd removed the spare tire from the trunk, he placed the bad one in the trunk.

Closing it, he wiped his gloved hands down the front of his denims. Belatedly she noticed those strange looking gloves with the fingers cut out of them. They weren't the standard biker gloves, these weren't leather. In fact upon closer exam they looked kind of like the wrist guards she'd seen one of the secretaries wearing at the firm where she'd worked, for her carpal tunnel. He'd been hurt.

"Oh your hands," she gasped in dismay. Automatically she reached out to touch one of his gloved hands, but then quickly yanked it back before she made any real contact. This man was a stranger, she chided herself. One she had no business touching.

Funny, but he didn't feel like a stranger, a small part of her argued back. Looking into those azure blue eyes she'd felt a certain kinship with him. His face may have been devoid of any expression, a true block of ice, but those eyes had told a far different story. They spoke of pain, and loss, and regrets.

And Gabi had always had a weakness for the walking wounded. She'd taken in more strays, both of the human and animal variety, than any one she knew. Once she patched them up she set them free. She was known as the rebound girl, because every single relationship she'd had had been with someone who was on the rebound.

Curling her hands into tight fists down at her sides, she locked those feelings away and returned to the matter at hand. Using her head, she gestured towards his hands. "I…I hope you didn't reinjure yourself helping me."

He glanced downward, seemingly surprised, as if he'd forgotten all about the gloves. Jaw tightening slightly, he curled his fingers into the material of his jeans. "It's fine," he said shortly. They watched one another for another seemingly endless minute, before he broke the contact and turned around and started walking back to his bike.

"Wait," she called after him. He stopped but he did not turn. "Uh…how much do I owe you? For the tire," she explained lamely, when he glanced at her over his shoulder, one brow arced in question.

"No charge." Again he started away.

For some reason she wasn't ready to see him leave. This connection or whatever it was she was feeling towards him, was freaking her out, but it wasn't something she could turn away from either. It had been a really long time since she'd felt this quickening of her heartbeat, in her blood. In just a few minutes, with even fewer words spoken, she felt more alive than she had in what seemed forever.

"That doesn't seem right," she said, quickening her stride to meet up with him. Hand on the handlebar, he glanced curiously at her. "You stopped when no one else would," she explained then. "You risked further injury to yourself to help me. I feel like I owe you something."

The handsome stranger gave a quick shake of his head, a strand of his hair dipping endearingly into his face. She fought back the urge to brush it off. "You don't."

Man, even his voice was sexy; low and gravely. Husky. "Well how about a cup of coffee then," she offered. "There's a great place a few miles up the road. Best coffee in the state."

He hesitated half a heartbeat, seemingly torn. There was a flicker of something, longing maybe in his Paul Newman blue eyes, but he quickly banked it and whatever she read was gone. Shaking his head, he climbed onto the bike. "No. Thanks," he added almost as an afterthought. Dipping his head in a nod of farewell, he started the bike. Seconds later he was roaring down the highway, a huge puff of black smoke the only evidence that he had even been there.

Probably just as well, she thought walking back to her car. She wasn't a relationship person. Sex, yes. Dating even, but actual real commitment? Uh-uh, no thanks. Not for her. And from what she'd seen, with the exception of her paternal grandparents, not really for anyone else either. If real love existed and that was a very big if, it definitely did not last.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Meetings & Not So Pleasant Greetings**

___**Frustrated**_, Jason tossed his black duffel bag onto the single bed in his motel room. Whether he liked it or not he was going to be here in Genoa City for a few more days at least. His bike had broken down and the part he needed to fix it was on back order from Chicago. The guy at the repair shop had told him that it could take anywhere from a week to two before it came in.

It wasn't a bad town. The lakeside town situated in between the big cities of Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin, certainly had its charm. In a way it reminded him of Port Charles, which was reason enough to want to get the heck out of here. He wanted to get lost in some big city where everybody minded their own business and nobody cared that you were there.

The coffee shop, Crimson Lights reminded him of the place he and Sonny ran together with the atmosphere of Kelly's Diner. Good coffee too. Maybe not as good as his and Sonny's but still good.

His phone rang. Out of habit he reached into his pocket to dig it out and checked the display. Elizabeth. Again. She'd been blowing up his phone and his voice mail for two solid weeks. Everyone had with the exception of Spinneli. He seemed to be the only one who seemed to respect his need for space. He wished the others would get the message and just leave him alone.

Muttering a strong curse, he threw the phone onto the bed. After two more rings it finally switched off and went to voice mail. He wouldn't need to listen to that message. All of her messages were pretty much the same. Five minutes where she wavered between whining, sniffling, and complaining about Carly.

"Jason," she'd said in one. "I don't understand what's going on. I talked to the hospital in Seattle and I know that you had the surgery to try and repair the nerve damage on your hands, but you checked out of there almost a month ago. So, where are you? And why would you leave me such a cryptic note?"

He hadn't thought his letter had been cryptic. Short, yes but he didn't think he could have been any clearer. Really, where was the confusion? How difficult was it to understand the words, _I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore, you deserve better_? It seemed pretty clear to him.

"I know you love me, so this just doesn't make any sense," she'd gone on to say. "If you need time to process everything that has happened, then okay. This thing with your hands and Sam dying. . .I know. It's a shock. Despite all the awful, terrible things she did to us and Jake, she was still a person and you loved her once. And working for Sonny was a part of you for so long, so to lose that on top of losing Sam and almost losing me, is a blow, I'm sure.

"But Jason, don't you understand what this means for us? Your career may be over, but our life is just beginning. We can be together now. For real. No more hiding. You can finally claim Jake and the three of us can be the family we've always wanted to be. We can go someplace and start our lives anew. You can show us Italy. Oh, Jason can't you just picture it? You, me, Jake, together, the way it was always. . ."

Unable to listen to anymore, he'd deleted the message before he heard the rest of it. Everything she'd described was a freaking fantasy. They would never have that life. Whether his hands healed or not, whether he ever did another job for Sonny, it was never going to happen for them. She'd been spinning that tale for over a year and in the last several months, he'd done his best to try and buy into it, but he just couldn't. If he were to ever start a new life somewhere, it wouldn't be with her.

Although he loved her, he just wasn't in love with her. He'd done an excellent job of pretending otherwise in the last six months, since Sam had moved out, but he'd since come to the realization that he just couldn't do that anymore. It wasn't fair to either of them.

And truthfully he didn't think she was anymore in love with him, than he was with her. She might believe she was, but it was just as much a fantasy as that rosy future she painted for them. How could she love him when she didn't even know him? Not really. And what she did know she was forever trying to change. She didn't accept him or even respect him.

She loved the idea she had of him. This hero, who came home to her and their two kids, maybe even their dog, every night and never gave her a moments worry. But he wasn't the white picket fence type guy. Or the doctor, lawyer, investment banker, or whatever boring job she created for him inside her head.

He was a man who liked to live life on the edge, who needed the adrenaline rush from danger, just to feel alive. He liked to drive fast on his motorcycle. He didn't like following the rules or even the law all the time. He hated domesticity and being tied down in one place for a long period of time. And truth be told he wasn't all that fond of dogs either, as he'd discovered when he was with Courtney and she had that damn dog, Rosie, following them around everywhere.

Elizabeth didn't get that. Or she chose to ignore it. Whichever, it wasn't conducive to building a life together. He'd tried that whole being someone else thing and what he'd discovered was that it never worked and someone always ended up hurt. Sam had been the only woman who had never tried to change him. She'd known the real him and she'd loved him anyway. In her, with her, he really had had it all.

Too bad he hadn't recognized that sooner.

Elizabeth's next call, just an hour after that first one had made him a little nervous. He wouldn't lie about that. She was worried about Carly and what she might do now that he wasn't there to reign her in. The woman despised her, she said. True enough. She could also be extremely dangerous. What if she got it into her head to tell the world that Jake was his son? Telling the world meant also telling anyone who may want to hurt or come after him. Which made Jake a target. Everything they'd worked so hard to avoid, could be for naught if Carly decided to run her mouth.

Jason knew all that. He'd taken it all into account before he'd left Port Charles. He'd left specific instructions both with Sonny and Carly that Carly was to leave the other woman alone. He'd even penned a letter to Carly's husband Jax, asking him the same thing. But he was under no illusion that his best friend was going to listen to any of them. When Carly got something in her head it took an act of God, to back her off.

And there was no doubt Carly was furious. She'd left him plenty of messages as evidence. Each one included more invectives than the one before. In addition to calling him selfish for deserting her in her hour of need, she'd been just as vocal about Elizabeth as Elizabeth had been about her. "This is all that whore's fault," she'd ranted. "And don't you dare try to convince me otherwise. First she convinces you to give up your son, for his own good. Now she's run you out of town. I told you this would happen. I warned you she'd destroy your life if you gave her the opportunity. But did you listen? No. Not that you ever do. Honestly, Jason when are you going to realize that I know what's best for you more than you do? How many more women are going to have to break your heart, before you realize that?"

There was also no question that she was bent on revenge. She'd told him as much.

"But mark my words, she will pay," she'd growled into his voice-mail. "I am going to burn her perfect little world straight to the ground. And then I will bury her. Do you hear me? I mean it, Jason. That sanctimonious, deceitful, little bitch is going down. By the time I'm done all that will be left of miss holier than thou will be ashes."

Sonny had warned him as well. "Thought I'd give you the heads up," he'd said just that night. "Carly's on the warpath again. Her latest victim? Elizabeth. I've tried talking her down, but you know Carly when she get's an idea in her head. You're the only one she semi listens to when she gets like this. So if you don't want your son's mother hurt, you might want to think about coming home."

All of that combined with his own firsthand knowledge of what Carly was capable of, should send him straight to the airport. He didn't want Elizabeth hurt. He certainly didn't want to see his son pay the price for the sins of the adults in his life. Jake had suffered enough in the ten months since he was born.

At the same time though, he was so tired. He was down to the bone weary of everything. He'd spent the last eleven years running around, trying to stop ticking time bombs from going off. Of saving Carly even from herself. He took all the risks while receiving next to nothing in return, save yet another assignment. He made the sacrifices. He couldn't have a family because he was too busy protecting everyone else's families. He'd lost the most and yet no one seemed to give a damn about that. They were all about covering their own asses.

And he was tired – no he was downright fed up with helping them do it. He didn't want to be any-ones savior. He just wanted to be left alone. He wanted freedom. From the chaos, the messes, the constant, endless parade of people walking through his door, and the migraines that followed. He'd lost Sam and he was damn close to losing himself too.

Maybe he already had. Maybe it was too late to save anything. All he knew for certain was that if he had any hope at all of finding even a shred of the man he'd been before this entire last year, he needed to do it away from the pressures and people in Port Charles.

Port Charles was just going to have to learn deal with all of their crap, because he, Jason Morgan was out of the crap dealing business. He wasn't going back. Not today or anytime in the near future.

With that realization, he snatched up his jacket from the bed, left the phone, and headed out the door. If he was going to be sticking around a little awhile, might as well do some exploring.

• • •

"_Mind if I join you?"_

Stiffening at the sound of her voice, Gabi reluctantly dragged her eyes away from the book she'd been enjoying, and looked up at the woman. So much for the peaceful environment she'd been hoping for, before she went back to work and faced off against that skeezy prosecutor again. All she'd wanted to do when court had broken for lunch, was get away for one hour. A sandwich, a good book, and quiet, and not necessarily in that order.

Dealing with this fiery, sanity in question, redhead, was the last thing she needed right now. Not when she was facing losing her first case and quite possibly her new boss's respect. She sighed deeply. "Would it matter if I said yes, I did mind?" she asked Nick's, jealous shrew of a wife.

Gone was the shy, timid, little mouse from that first encounter. Gabi had chalked that uncharacteristic behavior up to being so unnerved by first her thoughts of the godlike blonde stranger, and then running – literally, into her first crush. But she'd had a couple of days to recover and today she was firmly back in control of her emotions. This, unpleasant woman was not going to get to her. Not again.

Momentarily stunned at the not so friendly rejoinder, Phyllis blinked and stared. Gabi met her gaze, unflinchingly.

Once again she was dressed to kill, or rather to seduce in an off white, sleeveless sweater, black tube mini skirt, and a black bra, which was highly visible through the holey material. At least she was wearing one, for which she was profoundly grateful. In stark contrast, Gabi was dressed much more sedately in a black pencil skirt that skimmed her knees and a cobalt blue turtleneck sweater. She was also wearing her best pair of heels, which killed the ankles, but provided a much needed boost to her five foot nothing height.

After a couple more seconds of the stare down contest, Phyllis pulled the chair out across from her and sat down. "Let me be clear about something."

Rotating her head on her shoulders to ease the developing tightness, Gabi placed her finger in her book to hold her place and carefully closed it. Releasing a weary breath, she waited for the woman to speak.

"Nick is my husband," she said bluntly. "So whatever spark you're hoping to rekindle between you two, is not going to happen."

Rolling her eyes heavenward, the younger woman shook her head. "There is no spark and nothing to rekindle. As I told you the other day, Nick and I were friends. That's it."

"But you wanted more." It wasn't phrased as a question. Still Gabi didn't bother to respond. She didn't see the point. The woman was going to believe what she wanted to believe anyway. Best to let her talk and hopefully she'd run out of steam, before Gabi ran out of patience.

"Tell me something, Gabrielle."

The more formal use of her name had never really bothered her before. It did after all sound far more professional than Gabi, but the way the other woman sneered it made her hate every syllable. From now on hang professionalism. Her clients and colleagues would refer to her as Gabi or Ms. Williams. The next person to call her Gabrielle just might find their face meeting her fist.

As the other woman droned on, Gabi clenched her teeth. She gripped her mug of tea, so tightly that it was a wonder it didn't shatter. "Why did you come back to Genoa City? From what I heard, you were doing quite well for yourself down in Houston. You were on the fast track to partner. So, why give that up for much lower pay and even less prestige with a small town lawyer?"

"Dallas," she corrected tightly. Somehow she wasn't all that surprised that the woman had looked her up. Annoyed, yes, but not astonished. "And my reasons for moving back here are personal and none of your business."

"They are if they involve my husband."

"They don't," she said shortly. She'd simply decided it was time to come home. That she'd had enough of making hand over fist money and the rat race of corporate law, and just needed to feel like her again. She hadn't thought about Nicholas Newman at all.

"Hmm," she murmured contemplatively. "I'm not sure I believe that. The two of you looked pretty cozy the other day."

Seriously? Taking a deep breath, she tried counting to ten. It would not do to lose her temper on Nick's wife, even if the witch had it coming. But the day's stresses and the inability to call the prosecutor out for being a sexist pig, along with this woman's nerve, was just too much. She made it to five and just unloaded. Slamming, her hands down on the table, she leaned forward in her seat and glared at her. Phyllis didn't so much as blink, which only pissed her off more. "For the last damn time, I have absolutely zero interest in your husband. If you two are having problems it has nothing, _less_ than nothing, to do with me. Now back the hell off, lady!"

The other woman's brows arced, an ugly smile twisting her lips. "Think you're tough, do you?" She laughed harshly. "Oh honey, do you have a lot to learn." Leaning across the table, she pinned her in place with razor sharp blue eyes and snarled. "You do not want to make an enemy out of me. Try and cross me and I can promise you that I will make your life extremely difficult. Your new boss, Michael Baldwin?"

"What about him?"

"He's one of my closest, dearest friends and he will do anything I ask him to do. One phone call from me.. ." She snapped her fingers. "You'll be out of a job and running back to Texas so fast it will make your head spin." Slowly, she stood and smiled. "Nice chatting with you, Gabrielle. You have a nice day now." Waving two fingers, she sashayed away.

"And you get hit by a bus," Gabi muttered beneath her breath, glaring at the other woman's back. The nerve of her to threaten her. And for what? Because she didn't like the fact that she and her husband had been friends a million years ago? Was she honestly that insecure in her marriage?

Gabi had done her own research. Actually, the information had come to her, via Paul and the wonderful world of the news media. Newman was a notable name, more in the business world, but still newsworthy, particularly when scandal was attached to it. Nothing had been more scandalous than golden boy, Nicholas Newman, cheating on his poor, grieving wife with his former step-father's wife. It had been coffee-pot gossip for months. Every one had an opinion and no one was afraid to voice it.

She'd listened to her friends and co-workers, weighing in on the scandal every morning for three solid months, until a local politician had gotten caught with his hands in the financial pockets of the entire city. Not one to gossip, especially when it concerned someone she'd once called friend, Gabi had remained silently neutral on the whole thing.

It was none of her business. Besides the press was hopelessly biased and generally one sided. The only people in the world qualified to judge a marriage were the two people in it. Nick had been wrong. No question. Phyllis too. But he had been grieving the loss of his daughter and grief made people do all kinds of crazy things they wouldn't normally do. At least that was what her father had said when his partner on the force had been killed and he'd comforted the grieving widow by falling into her bed. Putting the final nail in the coffin of his already rocky marriage to Gabi and MJ's mother.

Now having met the other person involved in the destruction of Nick's marriage, she felt qualified to offer her own unsolicited opinion that the man was obviously not in his right mind. He was either blind or thinking with something other than his brain. Or both. Because the Nick she'd known wouldn't have given two cents for the trash he was now shackled too.

She hadn't been all that impressed with Sharon, eighteen years earlier, but that was probably more about her, than Sharon. She'd been so jealous, she hadn't taken the time to get to know the other girl. One look at that beautiful long, platinum hair and Gabi had instantly hated her.

But what she did remember about the girl was that she had seemed genuinely sweet and kind. She'd never openly snarled at her, as his current wife did. She hadn't dry humped him in front of the entire world, just to make a statement. And she certainly hadn't accosted her and threatened her if she so much as looked at her husband.

Deciding to put the whole unpleasant encounter behind her and salvage the twenty minutes she had left, Gabi released a breath, and reopened her book. No more thinking about jealous wives, former school girl crushes, or even handsome strangers with eyes so deeply and pure blue, one could actually get lost in them.

**. . . . .**

"**_M_**aternal. . ." Before Spinnelli could get out the rest of the greeting, the petite woman wearing purple scrubs and a scowl on her face, shoved her way inside the penthouse. Spinning around to face him, she demanded to know. "Where is Jason?"

The blonde beauty sitting on the sofa, rolled her eyes.

Spinnelli let out a mournful sigh as he shook his head. "I am afraid the Jackal is unaware of his master's present place of inhabitance," he told the furious, golden brown haired woman who had just intruded on him and his most welcome visitor.

When he'd first met Maxie Jones he'd labeled her as shallow, cruel, and heartless. He realized now how wrong he'd been. He'd seen her beautiful heart when her beloved sister, Georgie had been killed a few months before. And when they'd joined forces to clear her boyfriend as the Text Message Killer, the two had become quite close as friends. Since the death of Fair Samantha, someone they both revered a great deal, and Stone Cold's disappearance, they'd leaned on one another quite a bit. She'd been dropping by the penthouse more and more often. Today, she'd brought him a care package of his favorite orange soda and barbeque chips. They'd been discussing their beloved friend, Fair Samantha when Elizabeth Webber had knocked on his door.

Spinnelli tuned back into his most rude visitor, to see the other woman throw her hands up, as if greatly exaggerated. "God, Spinnelli don't you ever talk like a normal person? Does everything you say have to be some kind of code? I don't have time for your silliness. Just tell me where to find Jason."

"How dare you?" Maxie fumed, as she stood from the sofa. "You have no right to speak to Spinnelli like that in his own home."

"Maximista. . ."

"This isn't Spinnelli's home," Elizabeth interrupted. "It's Jason's."

"Yes, but Spinnelli actually lives here. And while you maybe or may have been Jason's concubine, you do not."

"This isn't any of your business, Maxie," the other woman stated impatiently.

Before things could deteriorate further, Spinnelli decided to intervene. "I apologize, Maternal One, but the Jackal is unable to assist you."

"Of course you can," Elizabeth argued. "Jason says you're some kind of genius when it comes to computers. That you can find virtually anything and everyone. So get on your computer and start looking."

While it was indeed true that with only a few clicks, he could locate the illusive Stonecold, Spinnelli would not do it. He'd promised his mentor and best friend he would give him the time and space he needed to sort things out in his mind. The former Goddess's, otherwise known as Fair Samantha's death had left them all reeling. But no one had been more affected than Stone Cold. It was as if the light and everything good about his mentor had been extinguished from his soul the moment he'd learned of Fair Samantha's fate. He had never seen him so broken.

Not when he'd been forced to give up his son. Nor when his sister had been killed by the vermin also known as the Text Message Killer. Fair Samantha's death at the hands of the TMK had seemed to be the last straw for Stone Cold. He'd completely withdrawn within himself and then one day he'd come home to discover a note, stating that he was leaving and he did not know when or if he would return, asking for privacy to figure it all out.

He missed his friend but he would not go back on his word.

Drawing himself up, Spinnelli met the blazing blue eyes, of the furious golden haired brunette. "I cannot," he repeated firmly.

"Why?"

"Stone Cold was very express in his wishes. He does not wish to be found."

"Spinnelli," she whined, stomping her foot. "He didn't mean me. Of course he wants to see me. He loves me."

"Oh my God, Elizabeth," Maxie screeched, before Spinnelli could find his voice. "Are you seriously that delusional? Jason, doesn't want a thing to do with you. Most especially you. You ruined his life. If not for you, Sam. . ." Tears filled her expressive, blue eyes, as she struggled to continue. "Would still be alive."

After losing her sister, Georgie also to the same madman that had taken the charming Emily, and their Fair Samantha, Sam had been the only true friend Maxie felt she had left. She was grieving just as deeply as most everyone else.

Sniffing, haughtily, Elizabeth leveled a glare in her direction. "I hardly expect you to understand the bond between Jason and myself."

"What bond?" Maxie scoffed. "The one where you trotted your desperate ass up fifteen flights of stairs, in a blackout, and seduced him? Or the one where you dangle your kid like some sort of prize in front of men in order to get them to do your bidding? Or wait, I know. The one where your bond is so special that you've become his dirty little secret. Although it's not much of a secret. The entire town knows all about your safe house romps."

"At least I didn't take advantage of a married man's drug addiction, by supplying him with more drugs so he would sleep with me," Elizabeth retorted nastily. "Or sleep with my own mother's husband. Oh wait, that was Sam, wasn't it?"

Spinnelli gasped. To bring up Maxie's not so perfect past was bad enough. But to go after a woman who was no longer here to defend herself was beyond cruel. But before he could defend either one of them, Maxie had pulled her shoulders back and slung right back. Verbally. "No, you're just a backstabbing, two timing, self righteous, hypocrite. I've admitted my wrong doing and have done my best to make restitution. So did Sam. But you, Elizabeth are far from the innocent victim you've made yourself out to be. Do you know why Lucky turned to me? Because his wife was too busy panting after the local mob enforcer and flirting with Dr. Patrick Drake, to pay any attention to her drowning husband. He needed help. He was practically begging for it. All you wanted to do though was berate him and make him feel even lower than he already did."

"Because I'd just caught him having sex with you."

"Don't you dare try to make this all my fault," Maxie snapped. "The way you did with Sam for the last several months. Making her out to be some sort of slut, when the truth is, you decided you wanted Jason long before Lucky found his way to my bed, before Jason ever broke up with Sam even. You've wanted Jason since the first moment, Emily started bragging about her big brother. Before you met him. Let alone knew him. So stop with the poor me, crap. Nobody here is buying it."

"Sam," Elizabeth smirked. "Never deserved Jason. She used and deceived him for years, before Jason finally got wise and threw her out like yesterday's trash. He never loved her. It was just about the sex."

"Stone Cold," Spinneli said then, having heard enough. "Loved Fair Samantha in a way that defies logic. To the depths of his soul and beyond."

"Then why did he break up with her? If he loved her so much, why did he propose to me, twice? If I hadn't turned him down, we'd be married right now, " she stated smugly.

The answer to that was rather simple. Unfortunately, Maximista was not aware of the young one's true paternity, thus he could not tell her the real reasons why his master had betrayed the woman he loved for the mother of his son. So he remained mute on the subject.

Again however, Maxie proved to know more than he thought and she probably should. "Because of Jake," she stated succinctly. "And for no other reason. He kept you around for as long as he did because it was the only link he had to his son. To the child you manipulated him into giving up. Because of his oh so dangerous lifestyle. Funny how that doesn't stop you from showing up wherever he might be. So, I'm going to declare bull shit on that one, Liz. You're not with Jason right now, because he just doesn't want to be with you. If he did he'd have fought for you, he'd have done whatever he could to clean up his life, so he could have you and Jake. But instead he did nothing." She tapped the side of her chin. "Oh wait, that's not exactly true, is it? He did do something. He ran. Far away from you."

"That's just temporary," she insisted. "He just needs time to sort out his life, now that he will no longer be able to work for Sonny."

The blonde's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Not working for Sonny? Since when?"

"The accident," Elizabeth told her, with the ever present smirk. "You know when Diego Alcazar kidnapped me and Jason rescued me? He cut his hands up on the glass. Patrick said the nerve damage was most likely permanent. Without full, proper use of his hands, Jason can't do his job effectively anymore."

A knowing look entered her Robin's egg, blue eyes, as she cut them towards Spinnelli. "She doesn't know, does she? Jason never told her." Without waiting for his response, she laughed. Loudly. "Oh this is just so perfect." Slowly, she swung her head back around to Elizabeth, whose entire face was pinched up distastefully. "The surgeries worked," she told her triumphantly. "The doctor in Seattle promised him a full recovery."

"You don't know that."

"Actually, I do. Jason told Spinnelli just before he lighted out of here. Spinnelli told me. Looks like the only one who didn't know was you. Which begs the question why didn't Jason tell you? Maybe because recovery or no, he wants nothing to do with you."

Shaking her head, a slow smile spread across her face. "No. That isn't it at all."

He and Maxie exchanged confused glances. How could this be good news?

"Oh my goodness," she said sounding blissful. "Why didn't I think of this before? Joyfully, she clapped her hands and placed them on each of Spinnelli's arms. Shaking him lightly, she cried. "Oh Spinneli, this is the best news ever. Jason isn't running away."

Shock, stunned his clever vernacular from him for the moment. And all he could do was stare at the woman, his mouth agape. "Uh. . .he's not?" he finally managed to say.

"No. He's running towards something. His life. Or more specifically, our life together. Don't you see? The only way he can safely start over, he has to put distance between him and the business. He's gone to find us a home. Probably to Italy, like we always talked about. And once he's sure its safe he'll send for me and his son."

"Or maybe he's gone to look for Sam," Maxie contributed, much to Spinnelli's further amazement. Could this day get any weirder?

Elizabeth swung a disproving scowl, towards the other woman. "Sam is dead," she huffed.

"Do you know that for a fact?" she asked, shrugging lightly. "It's a well known fact that in this town, people don't always stay dead. Both of Robin's parents turned up to be alive. Even my father Frisco, was presumed dead once, only to one day pop back up. And then of course there's Lucky. We were all told he died in that fire, but I do believe he's alive and well living just a couple of miles away. At least he felt pretty damn alive to me. He certainly didn't touch me like a dead man. Starved maybe," she added with a superior toss of her head. "But that's not really surprising, considering the fact that he was with the original ice queen for years."

"Slut," Elizabeth snarled.

Maxie smiled through her teeth. "Better than a frigid bitch."

Puffing out her chest, like an indignant bird, she sniffed all lord like. "It wouldn't matter if Sam somehow managed to survive her fall anyway. Jason hated her for what she did to me and my boys. So if she is alive, for her sake, she'd better stay gone. Otherwise, he might carry out his threat to kill her. And we both know that Jason doesn't miss."

Red faced with rage, Maxie took one menacing step forward. Quickly, Spinnelli leaped in between them before they could come to blows. "You should leave," he told the smirking brunette, placing a restraining hand on Maximista's shoulder blade.

After a couple of minutes, in which she continued to stand there smug and proud, Elizabeth finally let out a sigh and walked towards the door. Turning the knob, she pulled it open, adding over her shoulder. "We'll send you a postcard from Rome." Before walking through and closing it with a quiet click.

"We'll send you a postcard from Rome," Maxie mimicked. "Ugh, why couldn't Diego have strangled her instead of my sister? Or why couldn't she have fallen to her death instead of Sam?"

Spinnelli sighed. "It is a mystery how someone as kind as the Wise One, and our Fair Samantha, would depart this world before. . ."

"A more deserving person, like that supercilious twit," she interjected.

He just shrugged. He would never say anything so unkind about the Maternal One. Out of respect for Stone Cold he had always refrained from speaking his true feelings about the mother of his young prodigy. He'd even encouraged him to make a home with her. Not because it was what he wished for his master, but because he felt Stone Cold deserved to be a part of his child's life.

Truthfully, his personal feelings didn't differ much from Maximista's. Stone Cold should never have parted from Fair Samantha. If ever two people belonged together it had been the two of them. They had completed each other in a way that Lucky could never have completed Sam or Elizabeth could complete Stone Cold.

And Stone Cold would never recover from the loss of his one true love.

**. . . . .**

_Foot_ tapping impatiently, under the table, Carly sat watching the elevator. Where the heck was she? She wondered, sliding a surreptitious glance towards her watch. Twenty minutes late.

At this rate Jax would be out of his meeting, when she showed – if she showed, and she'd have to explain why she was meeting with his best friend, whom she normally couldn't stand. And she doubted he would approve. In fact he'd probably try to talk her out of it, just like Sonny had.

Finally after what seemed an eternity, the elevator doors slid open and the petite brunette, stepped out. Catching sight of Carly, Alexis nodded briefly, before walking towards the table. "It's about time you got here," the blonde stated in exasperation, before the attorney had even sat down.

Unfazed, Alexis merely rolled her eyes, as she pulled out her chair and sat. "Well Carly, considering the fact that I mostly detest you, you should be glad I showed at all. Why am I here, anyway? If it's to represent you or assist you in getting a divorce, you should know that as Jax's best friend, my loyalty would be to your husband. I could however recommend someone. Because as far as I'm concerned the sooner we could end this travesty of a marriage, the better."

Biting her lip, Carly just barely restrained herself from telling off the self righteous woman. She didn't like her. She hated the fact that she and her husband were so close. And that he often defended her.

But she needed her. Without Alexis, she wouldn't be able to carry out her plan. And that right now was a little bit more important than the fact that she normally despised the woman sitting across from her. Because there was one person she hated more than Alexis Davis.

"Thank you, Alexis," she said smiling through gritted teeth. "But it isn't necessary. Jax and I are fine. We're not getting divorced. Please, try to contain your relief."

"Then what could you and I possibly have to discuss?" Alexis asked forthrightly.

Deciding it was best to just get into this, rather than prolong it, Carly told her. "It's about Sam's hit and run."

The other woman features twisted in pain and grief. "What about it?" she asked tightly.

"A few days after it happened, Jason came to see me to talk about it."

Her brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Because he thought I had done it," she stated baldly.

Those sharp lawyer eyes narrowed. "Did you? Carly, are you confessing to running my daughter down and leaving her to die?"

"No!" She raised a palm in supplication. "Calm down, Alexis. Would I be sitting here now, talking about it, if I had?"

"You might if you thought that because Sam's death wasn't related to that hit and run, that it meant you were in the clear? That no charges could be brought against you." Narrowing her eyes, into hard bitter chips, the other woman leaned slightly forward in her seat. "But you couldn't be more wrong, Carly. A crime was still committed. Attempted murder, reckless driving, fleeing the scene of an accident, and failure to render aid, are only a few of the charges you would face. I could also throw in tampering with evidence. Most of those are misdemeanors, but you'd still spend a fair amount of time in jail."

Satisfied, Carly nodded. That's exactly what she was counting on. "I didn't do it," she said again. "But I did get the feeling that Jason was hoping I had. Maybe because that meant that the person he most feared was responsible, wasn't. And who other than myself would Jason be so desperate to protect?"

"Sonny?" She thought on it some more. "His mother maybe?"

"Jason, probably would do anything to protect those people," Carly was forced to admit. "But didn't I hear that Lucky closed the case a mere few days after the incident occurred? Why would he do that? Unless maybe he and Jason were working to protect the same person. Someone they both cared about."

Carly watched as enlightenment flared in Alexis' eyes. "Elizabeth," she said softly. "Are you saying that Elizabeth Webber tried to kill my daughter?"

"No," Carly admitted. "I'm saying that I think it's a possibility, especially considering how fast Lucky closed the case. And given how desperate Jason sounded that night." She waited a beat and then added the piece de la resistance. "I also overheard her telling one of the doctors at GH that because Sam was dead, no one cared anymore about who had hit her. That it was kind of a lucky break. And that if you asked her, Diego Alcazar had gotten one thing right. He'd killed the person responsible for setting the whole ugly chain of events into motion. She just wished that he'd taken care of her, before innocent people like Emily had died."

"Oh really?" Alexis asked, with rising indignation. "She said that, did she? Well we'll just have to see who has the last laugh." Determinedly, she pushed back in her chair and rose to her feet. Picking up her purse, she glanced across at Carly. "I don't know why you decided to come to me about this now, I'm just glad you did. Thank you," she added almost grudgingly. And with a final nod, she headed back towards the elevator.

Watching, a slow, satisfied smile crept across Carly's face. "Oh you are indeed welcome, Alexis," she murmured into the air. "It was my pleasure." Pride blooming inside her chest, she leaned back in her chair. "Check mate, Lizzy."

Just as she'd thought would happen, Alexis's motherly love had kicked in and she had taken the information she fed her, determined to make the person responsible for hurting her child pay. Things couldn't have gone better. Finally, Elizabeth Webber was going to be made to pay for her crimes. It was just to bad she couldn't have her arrested for the emotional damage she'd done to Jason. This was just going to have to do.

Grinning from ear to ear, she picked up her glass of water and lifted it in a mock toast. "Cheers to me."

Coming soon:

_Gabi gets a visitor and a gift_

_At the coffee shop Jason runs into Gabi for the third time_

_Alexis seeks answers_

I am so new to this posting thing so I'm not sure what exactly I'm doing. Please, please, please leave feedback if you're reading this. Just got an update that I have a follower, my first, yay, so averygirl hope you're enjoying this.


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